Min Pin and front leg weakness

I have a 10 year old min pin that started having front leg weakness suddenly at Thanksgiving after playing with the kids. She spent 4 days at the vets on IV steroids and has been on steroids ever since. When I try to drop the meds to one a day her symptoms get worse. So I stick with twice a day. Her symptoms include her front legs folding, then she falls, gets right back up and after a few steps she falls again. When she is in a hurry it gets worse. When she falls on the tile floor, she at time is unable to get up without help. I've noticed her panting at odd times and am not sure what causes this.

When she walks she keeps her front paws straight. Maybe that is to try to avoid falling on her nose. I'm worried and wonder about taking her to the vet tomorrow. I don't want her to be uncomfortable for the weekend if avoidable.

But she is eating, peeing and pooing just like always. Still wants to be in the chair or bed with me. We've been together for almost all of her 10 years and cuddling at bedtime has become a favorite for us.

Justic....I'm sorry it's so late, but I'm not going to bed till I can get this to you.....This is one of two things: First, x-rays should have been taken of her cervical (Neck) area....I agree that it sounds like a Disc Herniation in the neck....
If your Vet thought it was Neurological, then he should have treated with Pain Meds & Steroids.....She should have been on crate rest for 4-6 wks. till the herniation went down....Whats happening is the disc is protruding into the spinal column and causing the paralysis.....It's called IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) if you want to google it.....The proper approach is meds with cage confinement...That means NO running, jumping, or playing...Only carried out to potty and back in! This usually will do the trick, but it can happen again...
The good news is it rarely causes complete paralysis if the disc is in the neck area.....Further down the spine, if it happens, it can cause them to be completely paralyzed! Then you've got an emergency.....There is a surgery to correct this beautifully, but very expensive.....I paid close to $3000 for it...Don't panic just yet....There are ways to pay for it that I can help you with later.....I will add that acupuncture works wonders on these kind of issues.....I'm not kidding!!!!

Next, you must be aware that this could also be a Tumor of the Spine.....It WILL show on an x-ray and your original Vet dropped the ball by not doing it 3 months ago.....I'm not trying to scare you, but in a 10 yr. old, it's possible......My personal opinion is tumors of this sort are from Vaccines given in the neck, but conventional medicine usually would not agree...

Her PANTING is a sign of PAIN.....Thus, she needs pain medication to go along with the steroids.....They compliment each other......

If you have an opportunity to take her in tomorrow (To a New Vet), then I would do it......She needs to get this under control.....Please, come back and let me know what you find out.....I will be wondering about you both....Take care & let me know if you need more help......Karla

P.S. It's 1:00 AM here, but I'll be up a couple more hours if you need......I'll check back in.......Take care

Panting can also be a side effect of the Steroids....Her dose may be too high! Make sure you tell the New Vet what her dose is.....It may can be lowered and still be very effective.......I have found that half doses (Twice a day) still work well....Just a thought....Bye

Thank you for all the great information. You confirm some of what I was thinking might be wrong.

I have been giving her Dexamethasone 25 mg twice a day since the end of November and we don't seem to be getting anywhere.

Crate rest sounds like it would be a good idea. She just likes to cuddle and be held. We have her on a special diet to lose some weight (needs to lose about 2 lbs) but the steroids are making her hungrier than usual.

I have some carprofen 25mg still around from before we started the steroids. She was taking 1/2 twice a day for arthritis pain. Can I give her the pain meds safely with the steroids?

My vet said the steroids took the place of the pain meds.

I was not able to get an appointment with a new vet today and I am not sure about taking her to an emergency vet I know nothing about.

But I can limit her movements this weekend. If I sit still, so does she.

On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The fourth item lists soybean mill run. Mill run is a by-product… mostly the hulls of soybeans remaining after processing the beans into meal. This is nothing more than a cheap, low-quality filler more commonly found in cattle feeds.

The fifth ingredient is powdered cellulose… a non-digestible plant fiber usually made from cotton or sawdust. Cellulose is sometimes added to dilute the number of calories per serving and to give the feeling of fullness when it is eaten.

Except for the usual benefits of fiber, powdered cellulose provides no nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth ingredient is soybean meal. Soybean meal is actually a useful by-product. It’s what remains of soybeans after all the oil has been removed.

Soybean meal contains 48% protein. However, compared to meat, this is an inferior plant-based protein. So, we must allow for this boosting effect as we judge the meat content of this food.

After the chicken liver flavor, we find beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

The ninth ingredient is soybean oil… red flagged here only due to its suspected (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.

With two notable exceptions…

First, we find no evidence of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

Finally, the minerals here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

Hill’s Prescription Diet R/D Canine Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Even though this is a prescription product, we continue to limit our judgment to the estimated meat content of the recipe as well as the apparent quality of its ingredients. And nothing else.

Our ratings have nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to this product’s ability to effectively treat or cure a specific health condition.

So, to find out whether or not this dog food is appropriate for your particular pet, you must consult your veterinarian.

With that understanding…

This “professional” weight loss product is a real disappointment. That’s because judging by its ingredients alone, Hill’s Prescription Diet R/D Canine appears to be a below-average dry dog food.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 34%, a fat level of 8% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 49%.

The two products feature an average protein content of 34.5% and an average fat level of 8.5%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate proportion of 49% for the overall product line.

Above-average protein. Low fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Yet when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the soybean and corn gluten meals, this looks like the profile of a dry dog food containing only a moderate amount of meat.

Plus it’s difficult to ignore the unwelcome presence of so many Red Flag items.

Bottom line?

Hill’s Prescription Diet R/D Canine is a plant-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of chicken by-product meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand two stars.

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